JUBA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Aid agencies on Wednesday called on the international community to only support voluntary return of South Sudan's internally displaced people if conditions are safe and dignified.

In a joint report released a year after the signing of the peace agreement, the agencies including Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Danish Refugee Council called on humanitarian agencies to do more to help people caught in the endless cycle of movement.

The report says millions of South Sudanese remain displaced as the country continues to face a humanitarian crisis and people fear that peace may not last.

Elysia Buchanan, South Sudan policy lead at Oxfam said armed clashes between parties have reduced since the signing of the revitalized peace deal, bringing tentative hope to many.

"But because of the slow implementation of the deal, many women told us they are still not sure if lasting peace is at hand," Buchanan said, noting that helping people return to their homes and rebuild their lives is our goal.

However, he cautioned that humanitarian agencies could inadvertently endanger people or make their lives worse by ignoring or downplaying the issues that make returning dangerous.

The agencies said the humanitarian response must be sensitive to the needs of women and girls, taking into consideration the country's harmful gender norms.

The report, titled "No Simple Solutions: Women, Displacement and Durable Solutions in South Sudan" highlights the experiences of women in transit and the conditions they need in order to return home.

Women, who lead the vast majority of displaced households, may be especially vulnerable, including facing the threat of sexual violence, says the report.

According to the agencies, while some women have begun returning to South Sudan, many are not going back to their homes but seeking a safer and better place to live.

The agencies said more than seven million South Sudanese are in need of humanitarian assistance after five years of brutal conflict.

Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed and it will take years for essential infrastructure and services to recover, said the organizations.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013 and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates that about four million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 collapsed following renewed violence in the capital Juba in July 2016.

Under the 2018 peace deal which was inked in September 2018, opposition leader Riek Machar with four others will once again be reinstated as president Salva Kiir's deputy. Enditem

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